New SpaceX Starship Block 2 Design Flying in January and Block 3 One Year Later | NextBigFuture.com

The SpaceX Starship 33 will be the first block 2 design. Block 2 will have more payload mass capacity. It will have a lower launch cost than the block 1 design. SpaceX Starship 33 should fly around January 11, 2025.

There are approvals for up to 25 launches of SpaceX Starship in 2025.

SLS:
• Launches: 1
• Reusability: None
• LEO Payload Capacity: 95 Metric Tons
• Estimated Current Cost per Launch: $2.2 billion

Starship Block 1:
• Launches: 5
• Reusability: Complete, minus hotstaging ring
• LEO Payload Capacity: 100 Metric Tons
• Estimated Cost per Launch: $200 – $300 million

Starship Block 2:
• Launches: 0
• Reusability: Complete
• LEO Payload: 150 Metric Tons
• Estimated Cost per Launch: $15 million – $100 million

Block 2 Structural Enhancements
Propellant Capacity

25% increase in propellant capacity, allowing for greater range and payload capabilities
Booster propellant load increased to 3,650 tons
Ship propellant load increased to 1,500 tons

Dimensions

Total height increased to 124.4 meters
Booster height increased to 72.3 meters
Ship height increased to 52.1 meters

Performance Upgrades
Payload Capacity

Ability to carry over 100 tons to low-Earth orbit when reused
Prioritization of mass over volume compared to Block 1

Thrust Improvements

Booster liftoff thrust increased to 8,240 tf
Ship initial thrust increased to 1,600 tf

Design Modifications
Aerodynamic Changes

Thinner forward flap design, positioned more leeward for improved aerodynamics
Smaller, repositioned forward flaps for better heat shield construction

Structural Features

Integrated vented interstage
Two “raceways” added to the structure

Propulsion Advancements
Engine Configuration

Utilization of both Raptor 2.5 and Raptor 3 engines
Removal of secondary engine shielding due to Raptor 3 implementation

Manufacturing Improvements

Enhanced manufacturing processes
Improved heat shield tiles
Increased flow rates
Added redundancy in information transfer

Additional Features

Redesigned tank domes
Reduced payload fairing volume to 600 cubic meters, optimizing for mass rather than volume

SpaceX Starship Block 3

SpaceX’s Starship Block 3 is expected to be built by late 2025 or early 2026. The timeline depends on the success of the Block 2 tests and the availability of the Raptor 3 engines. If significant lessons are learned from the Block 2 tests, adjustments might be made to the design or construction timeline of Block 3.

SpaceX’s Starship Block 3 is set to feature some significant upgrades over its predecessors. Here are the key specifications based on the latest information for block 3:

Height: Approximately 150 meters tall, significantly taller than the current Block 1 which stands at about 121 meters.
Thrust: Elon Musk has indicated that Starship version 3 will have about three times the thrust of the Saturn V, which implies it will be much more powerful than Block 1 and 2.
Payload Capacity: When operating as a tanker, Starship V3 should be capable of close to 200 tons of payload to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). For other configurations, the payload capacity could vary but is expected to be significantly higher than previous versions due to the increased thrust and size.

Ship 33 (the first version 2 or block 2 (aka “Starship 2”) test ship to be built) had a full cryogenic test today at SpaceX’s Massey’s testing site.

Here is the Ship 31 (last version 1 test ship, on left) and Ship 33 (first version 2 test ship, on right) cryo comparison, shared pic.twitter.com/lZ05D7PKVS

— Brad Allen (@Ulmo_Space) October 31, 2024

SpaceX Starship vs Boeing/NASA Contractor Space Launch System (SLS).

SLS:
• Launches: 1
• Reusability: None
• LEO Payload Capacity: 95 Metric Tons
• Estimated Current Cost per Launch: $2.2 billion

Starship Block 1:
• Launches: 5
• Reusability: Complete, minus hotstaging… pic.twitter.com/ZE4qnKSvWK

— Ren Jaecks (@Rjaecker) November 12, 2024

Yeah im really not that worried about Block 2s payload space.
It looks small until you starty putting real payloads in it and it now looks huge again, and this isn’t even its max, just max for starlink.@ChameleonCir pic.twitter.com/KdmppKHoq3

— Scott (@ScottLikedSLS) November 9, 2024